System and method for providing geospatial information processing services using web service technologies

Abstract

A system for providing geospatial information processing services using web service technologies via a network includes: one or more geospatial information databases storing therein geospatial information; a geospatial information processing service provider including one or more geospatial information processing servers having a plurality of geospatial information processing web service components for performing geospatial information processing unit functions; and a user terminal including a client software for accessing the geospatial information processing servers via the network to select one or more of the geospatial information processing web service components and transmit a user request. The geospatial information processing servers accesses the geospatial information databases via the network to transmit a query based on the user request and transmits to the user terminal a geospatial information processing service result based on a query result received from the geospatial information databases, by using the selected geospatial information processing web service components.

1 . A system for providing geospatial information processing services using web service technologies via a network, the system comprising:
 one or more geospatial information databases storing therein geospatial information;   a geospatial information processing service provider including one or more geospatial information processing servers having a plurality of geospatial information processing web service components for performing geospatial information processing unit functions; and   a user terminal including a client software for accessing the geospatial information processing servers via the network to select one or more of the geospatial information processing web service components and transmit a user request for a geospatial information processing service executed by the selected geospatial information processing web service components,   wherein the geospatial information processing servers accesses the geospatial information databases via the network to transmit a query based on the user request and receive a query result and transmits to the user terminal a geospatial information processing service result based on the query result received from the geospatial information databases, by using the selected geospatial information processing web service components.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a service registry registered therein service information on the geospatial information processing web service components; and   a relay server for receiving the service information on the geospatial information processing web service components from the geospatial information processing servers to register the service information in the service registry and for searching for the service information in the service registry to provide the user with the searched service information.   
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the relay server bills the user for searching and using for the registered geospatial information processing web service components. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the relay server provides the geospatial information processing service provider with statistic information on a user's use of the registered geospatial information processing web service components. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the relay server receives a request to register the service information on the geospatial information processing web service components from the geospatial information processing servers to register the service information in the service registry; and   wherein the relay server receives a search request from the user terminal to search for the service information in the service registry.   
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the service registry is a UDDI (Universal Description Discovery and Integration) registry. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the service information registered in the service registry is described in WSDL (web Services Description Language). 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the client software includes:
 a GUI module for providing the user with a graphic user interface environment for selection and use of the geospatial information processing web service components; and   a BPM module for generating a business process by combining the geospatial information processing web service components to perform the business process by using the combined geospatial information processing web service components.   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the geospatial information databases are provided by the geospatial information processing service provider. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the geospatial information databases are provided by one or more geospatial information database providers which are different from the geospatial information processing service provider. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the geospatial information processing service provider further includes a load balancing server for supporting a load balancing function adapted for distributed computing performed by the geospatial information processing servers based on the amount of the service request from the user to provide the geospatial information processing services. 
   
   
       12 . A method for providing geospatial information processing services using geospatial information stored in one or more geospatial information databases and a plurality of geospatial information processing web service components for performing geospatial information processing unit functions, the method comprising:
 receiving from a user a user request for a geospatial information processing service executed by one or more of the geospatial information processing web service components;   transmitting to the geospatial information databases a query based on the user request and receiving a query result from the geospatial information databases;   performing the requested geospatial information processing service based on the query result by using the geospatial information processing web service components; and   transmitting to the user a geospatial information processing service result.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 providing the user with service information on the geospatial information processing web service components.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the service information is described in WSDL (Web Services Description Language).